More digital kiosks set for New York subways

Encouraged by results a pilot program tested in five key subway stations, MTA New York City Transit will add 120 additional digital kiosks at 21 subway stations by year's end, offering one-touch navigation assistance.

The pilot program, On the Go, "enables us to put technology in the station and do things that normally used to be doen with a human presence," MTA Chairman and CEO Thomas Prendergast said Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2013. The program, launched last September, was activated last April.

The kiosks are being provided by CSB Outdoor, a division of CBS Corp., and Control Group; both companies are based in New York. Both companies are covering the cost of manufacture, while MTA covers the cost of installation. Once both companies recoup their costs via various advertising, MTA NYCT receives 65% of any additional revenue.

Most of the 21 stations selected are heavily patronized hubs, including Union Square and Columbus Circle stations in Manhattan and Jay Street-MetroTech Station in Brooklyn. Other stations, however, include local stops in Brooklyn and the Bronx.

Customer feedback from the pilot program has prompted upgrades to the next round of kiosks, with the goal of improving user-friendly aspects for both regular riders and tourists alike.